33 Chancery Lane > London, England > Set Profile
33 Chancery Lane Offices
LONDON
WC2A 1EN
England
33 Chancery Lane > The Legal 500 Rankings
London Bar > Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture Tier 1
33 Chancery Lane has particular strengths in restraint and confiscation cases and is ‘unsurpassed in quality for POCA related work‘. The set has recently been involved in numerous anti-money laundering matters, such as R v Baldwin, where Fiona Jackson acted on behalf of the Financial Conduct Authority in a rare confiscation order under s.27 of POCA in which the defendant was convicted in absence and remains at large. Catherine Collins also advised the Financial Conduct Authority in litigation concerning Operation Tiverton, a financial investigation regarding an individual’s unauthorised trading activity and associated money laundering. In matters relating to fraud, Martin Evans KC was instructed for confiscation proceedings following the conviction in R v Asplin, Kearns & Jones, a private prosecution by an insurance company against former directors who had conducted fraud for over a decade, while Kennedy Talbot KC acted for the trustees of a pension fund in the liquidation to pay an £8m confiscation order in the same matter. Mark Rainsford KC managed to restrain £48m of personal assets held by the defendants for the Crown Prosecution Service in the scope of Operation Salmon, an HMRC investigation into a fraud involving myriads of mini-umbrella companies.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
‘Martin Adams is a very knowledgeable clerk who knows the capabilities of his excellent team of barristers inside out.’
‘Martin Adams is a very personable person and always there to help.’
‘The go to set for POCA and asset recovery work.’
’33 Chancery Lane has a great pool of talent in this area. No other set can provide the breadth and depth of Counsel that have such expertise in POCA and asset forfeiture.’
‘The leading set for POCA related litigation work.’
’33 Chancery Lane will always be the best POCA set in the country. they are now expanding their branches into complex fraud work.’
‘Leading set in the area and involved in most of the big cases.’
‘I have always found the clerks room to be very efficient, professional and courteous.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Business and regulatory crime (including global investigations) Tier 3
33 Chancery Lane acts for the prosecution and defendants as well as affected parties on all kinds of business crime and regulatory cases and fields ‘excellent set of barristers who are true experts in financial crime‘. For example, Amanda Pinto KC acts for individuals in heavyweight SFO cases, as does Mark Rainsford KC , who also prosecutes in significant cases. Faisal Osman is a key junior in the set.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
‘Martin Adams runs chambers excellently. He has a very commercial outlook and is a pleasure to deal with, even in difficult circumstances of cases. He is very well-supported by the hard-working Chris Chiles and Oliver Carroll.’
‘Excellent. Martin Adams is a pleasure to work with, he has an extraordinary knowledge of the legal work being done by the barristers that he clerks.’
‘Martin Adams is an excellent clerk who appreciates the technical and complex nature of the work undertaken by his barristers.’
‘I have always found the clerks room to be very efficient, professional and courteous.’
‘Very good and helpful clerks.’
‘They are a good set for fraud and regulatory issues, particularly where there is a cross-over with civil issues.’
‘An excellent set of barristers who are true experts in financial crime.’
’33 Chancery Lane will always be the best POCA set in the country. And they are now expanding their branches into complex fraud work.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Fraud: crime Tier 3
33 Chancery Lane, with an established reputation as a heavyweight financial crime set, is increasingly recognised for the complex fraud expertise of its members, crossing over with the set's track record in confiscation work. Narita Bahra KC is widely praised for her excellent advocacy, ‘on par with any barrister in the country’, while Amanda Pinto KC, acting for the SFO, has recently secured the conviction of two defendants charged with fraudulently operating a Brazilian teak investment scheme, which involved a global Forex investment fraud, complex trust structures, insolvency proceedings, and money laundering issues - both defendants were convicted and sentenced to eleven years.Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
Testimonials
‘The clerks’ room, led by Martin Adams, is one of the best around. The clerks provide an excellent bespoke service and are incredibly responsive and collaborative – an absolute pleasure to work with.’
‘Martin Adams is very personable and is always there to help.’
‘Martin Adams and Chris Chiles are a pleasure to deal with.’
‘Niche and top of their game in high-end white collar crime.’
’33 Chancery Lane will always be the best POCA set in the country. It is now expanding into complex fraud work.’
‘A fantastic set with incredibly bright and hardworking barristers.’
Work highlights
London Bar > Crime
Leading Silks
London Bar > Fraud: civil
Leading Silks
Leading Juniors
33 Chancery Lane > Set Profile
This internationally renowned set specialises in commercial and financial wrongdoing, including asset forfeiture, bribery and corruption, civil recovery, company and insolvency work, fraud, investigative law, money laundering, public access, and regulatory law.
The set: With an unrivalled, proven track record at its foundation, the set is an acknowledged leader in its field in the UK and overseas. Its members pride themselves on providing approachable, responsive and supportive cradle-to-grave litigation strategies, leading to elegant, simple and common-sense solutions.
The set places significant emphasis on client care and procedures. It has acted for governments, corporations and individuals around the world, including the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Abu Dhabi, Dubai (DIFC), India, the US, Australia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Canada, Argentina, China, Seychelles, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey, The Isle of Man, Denmark, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands, and Northern Ireland. Members appear in tribunals, arbitrations, mediations, appeals or at first instance, domestically and throughout the common law world.
Twelve members have been appointed to the specialist SFO PoCA and Prosecution Lists. Members include the authors of Corporate Criminal Liability and the leading text on confiscation and asset forfeiture: Mitchell, Taylor and Talbot and Criminal Confiscation and Civil Recovery. Members also contribute to Archbold (the money laundering chapter), The White Book, Blackstone’s and Administrative Court Practice and Procedure. Another Member is the lead author of Smith & Shepherd, Commercial and Cyber Fraud: a Legal Guide to Justice for Businesses as well as the author of A Practitioner’s Guide to Commercial and Cyber Fraud: Claiming Compensation in the Civil and Criminal Courts.
Types of work undertaken: Members often appear on behalf of corporate personalities, company directors and liquidators regarding financial wrongdoing matters and are instructed in regular insolvency work and company law actions, such as unfair prejudice claims and derivative actions on behalf of minority shareholders, including actions against directors for breach of their statutory duties.
Fraud, civil and criminal, are notable areas of expertise. Members are routinely instructed in pre-charge or pre-action issues, such as freezing/restraint orders, drafting claims and defences, judicial review of investigative decisions, multi-jurisdictional matters, ADR, and other issues. Members are instructed to defend and prosecute in cases of the highest complexity brought by the SFO, FCA, NCA, CPS and other agencies as well as act for Claimants or Respondents in complex civil actions. Investigative law expertise includes search warrants, production orders and witness summonses.
Members of 33 Chancery Lane have been at the forefront of legal practice in money laundering for decades and continue to act in the most complex cases domestically and overseas, as well as delivering personalised training and education to professionals in the field. Members have been advising numerous investors and financial institutions in matters concerning money laundering obligations arising out of the emerging cannabis market in Canada.
Asset forfeiture is a major specialism. Members are regularly instructed by prosecuting authorities, defendants and interested parties. They frequently make applications applying for, discharging or varying restraint orders. Members regularly appear in applications to discharge or vary Account Freezing Orders (AFO) and Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWO) as well as applications relating to Moratorium Period Extensions. They handle competing claims between ancillary relief applications flowing from divorce and the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, as well as high-value confiscation proceedings at the Crown Court involving assets in and outside the jurisdiction, including hidden asset cases.
Bribery and corruption expertise includes UK Bribery Act matters as well as overseas legislation. Members have appeared in many civil recovery proceedings and are retained by the CPS and SFO as well as respondents to advise upon and act in the development of the latest jurisprudence.
The set is also a leader in proceedings before financial and professional regulatory bodies, including enforcement, mediation and settlement. Members frequently appear before professional disciplinary bodies.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Members of Chambers | TALBOT KC, Kennedy (1984) | ||
| Members of Chambers | WEBSTER KC, Alistair (1976) | ||
| Members of Chambers | MITCHELL KC, Andrew (1976) | ||
| Members of Chambers | PINTO KC, Amanda (1983) | ||
| Members of Chambers | RAINSFORD KC, Mark (1985) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BRODIE KC, Graham (1989) | ||
| Members of Chambers | EVANS KC, Martin (1989) | ||
| Members of Chambers | BAHRA KC, Narita (1997) | ||
| Members of Chambers | STANCOMBE, Barry (1983) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SAUNT, Linda (1986) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SMALL, Penelope (1992) | ||
| Members of Chambers | CONVEY, Christopher (1994) | ||
| Members of Chambers | JACKSON, Fiona (1998) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SHARP KC (Jersey), Howard (2001) | ||
| Members of Chambers | OSMAN, Faisal (2002) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SMITH, Ian (2003) | ||
| Members of Chambers | TOWNSEND, John Carl (2006) | ||
| Members of Chambers | COLLINS, Catherine (2010) | ||
| Members of Chambers | SYKES, Christopher (2015) | ||
| Members of Chambers | FERRARI, Rachel (2018) |
Barrister Profiles
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Ms Narita Bahra | Narita Bahra KC is a leading Criminal and Business Fraud Defence Barrister… | View Profile |
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Graham Brodie | Graham Brodie KC specialises in civil and criminal litigation arising out of… | View Profile |
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Catherine Collins | Catherine is a specialist advocate whose practice encompasses all aspects of financial… | View Profile |
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Christopher Convey | Christopher Convey practices in the field of national and international commercial wrongdoing… | View Profile |
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Martin Evans | Martin’s practice involves all aspects of the law relating to asset recovery,… | View Profile |
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Rachel Ferrari | View Profile | |
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Fiona Jackson | Fiona Jackson practises in the areas of domestic and international fraud and… | View Profile |
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Andrew Mitchell | Specialises in advising and representing clients international and domestically in civil and… | View Profile |
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Faisal Osman | The core of Faisal’s work relates to domestic and international civil and… | View Profile |
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Amanda Pinto | An expert in financial wrongdoing, Amanda is involved in many high-profile cases… | View Profile |
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Mark Rainsford | An internationally pre-eminent silk and litigation strategy expert, specialising in business crime,… | View Profile |
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Linda Saunt | As a mediator Linda is accredited by ADR Group for both commercial… | View Profile |
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Penelope Small | A senior junior counsel with decades of experience in cases related to… | View Profile |
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Ian Smith | Ian works across a spectrum of commercial fraud, cyber fraud and misconduct… | View Profile |
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Barry Stancombe | Barry is a specialist in asset forfeiture and proceeds of crime particularly… | View Profile |
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Kennedy Talbot | Kennedy Talbot KC’s practice areas are Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 civil… | View Profile |
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Mr John Carl Townsend | Recognised as a specialist in financial and reputational disputes where there is… | View Profile |
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Alistair Webster | Alistair Webster K.C. combines, having taken silk at the age of 41… | View Profile |
- Proceeds of crime (POCA) and asset forfeiture